Ricky Watters Joins the High School Football Coaching Ranks

Former Seahawks running back Ricky Watters is the new head football coach at Oak Ridge High School in Orlando, Florida.

The Oak Ridge Pioneers have won six or more games five times in the past six seasons, including 6-4, 8-4, 7-4 and 7-4 records. The Pioneers were 47-127 from 1990-2006 and have put together four consecutive winning seasons for the first time since at least the 1970s.

Watters played for ten seasons in the NFL with San Francisco, Philadelphia, and Seattle. In 1998, Watters joined the Seahawks and played in Seattle until his retirement in 2001. He finished his professional career with 10,643 yards rushing and 4,248 yards receiving and 91 total touchdowns in regular season play. As of the end of the 2012 NFL season, Watters was one of the two only NFL running back to rush for over 1,000 yards in a season for three different teams (along with Willis McGahee).

He also scored three touchdowns (two receiving) and rushed for 47 yards as the San Francisco 49ers beat the San Diego Chargers 49-26 in Super Bowl XXIX in 1995 in Miami. The former Notre Dame standout was taken in the second round of the 1991 draft by the 49ers.

Watters settled in Orlando following his retirement in 2001 and has worked as a mentor and motivational speaker for at-risk and foster children. He was inducted into the Central Florida Sports Hall of Fame in 2011 for his contributions to the community.

Now he’ll be trying to achieve results that could justify his position there as a coach as well, all while overseeing a son who hopes to become a rap star rather than a running back.

Watters has a guest appearance in his son’s music video: Lil Ricky – “Let Yourself Go.”